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Toothsome / Tiresome Lessons & Practices 8/31-9/6

Oops, we missed our Sunday start to the new week yesterday, but let's make up for it by posting our fabulous lesson and practice experiences (so great that they make you all smiley and TOOTHSOME :D ) and then the things that were not so great (TIRESOME :( ).

And let's send good wishes to all our friends who are heading off to school.

TIRESOME: First, having to work today, Labor Day. Second because of my charming schedule, I won't have another lesson until the 14th.

TOOTHSOME: I will be able to get in some practice time plus I am the proud owner of a scribe so now I can do some patch during those times I have the rink to myself (That usually happens on Friday morning for some reason).

Other times I can work on the ole Salchow which is beginning to become more consistent albiet not much height, distance or speed yet.

Tiresome: Poor hubby had to travel last evening for an early morning meeting today, so no skating for him :( The funny thing is, he went to Western PA and stayed in the hotel our wedding reception was in--talk about a wierd sense of deja vu!!

The Tooth Fairy: Back into the harness this AM and worked on improving waltz and salchow, skating in the harness first and then out. It went very well. The waltz is gaining a better entrance edge and push and the salchow is gaining distance and height. I think I'm really developing the feel of the timing on the jump and relaxing into it.

We also joined a new gym this weekend and are back to strength training. Add to this probable synchro lessons starting soon and me returning to middle eastern dance classes with a new teacher teaching tribal bellydance, and I won't lack for physical activity!!!

Greetings from Spokane, everyone! I finally got my computer set up in my room here. My roommate is nice, campus is pretty, and classes started today but I only had ballet so it was an easy easy day for me. I came back here to take a nap I called the skating rink (that I will have to take the bus to, groan) and they said their only public sessions are from 9-11 on Tues-Thurs, and then a couple on weekends. So I haven't been skating in a week, argh. I'm going to call again and ask about freestyle. I'm a bit scared to go to a freestyle session but it's better than only on weekends and I think I'm ready for it. I think I'll go call about that now in fact...

Greetings from Guelph!!! I'm all moved in and my computer is up and running, extremely slow, but running nonetheless. My floormates are great, and one's even from my city. I've met a few really super people and we're having a blast! Right now, our big activity is finding free food. It's totally not working! I think I start skating on Monday, but I have yet to hear if my request for one day a week has gone through. The varsity meeting is next week too. I'm off to hang out with my new friends, then we're off to our own verison of Canadian/American Idol. I'll be back soon when I have more time!

rachel and starshine: Glad things are going well!!! Rachel: You definitely will be fine in Freestyle as long as its not an extremely "high" level session (people doing doubles and triples)--go for it!!!

Went back skating last night the first time in a week. A little rusty.

The Outside mohawk is getting much better to my surprise. So I learned the FS3 step sequence last night. Coach said she'd want to teach the step sequence in both directions Fortunately, my new program will only have 1 step sequence in 1 direction!

Just found out that there'll be another local competition coming up in November. But I don't think I'll be ready for that since my change foot spin is non-existent. Unless miracle happens, I'll probably let this one go. I definitely need to work on my spin.

Eventually I'll have some actual skating to update you all about but I just wanted to say that I actually dragged myself to the rink yesterday (the bus ride isn't bad, but I had to walk a little) for freestyle because I talked to a guy on the phone who was very nice and said yeah, you should try the freestyle sessions. But when I got there I discovered I had to be a member of the USFSA (which I think I am bcs of Basic Skills but I didn't have my number) and it'd be cheaper if I joined the club. I'm not sure I'm going to join that particular skating club because I can skate public sessions and at a closer rink during winter but anyway, to make a long story longer, I didn't skate yesterday. I talked to someone who told me what freestyle sessions would be best if I did decide to do so and I stayed a bit to watch and everyone there was a 8-16ish year old girl having a lesson and the least advanced one was working on her axel so I might've been too intimidated to get a good skate in anyway. Once I get set up with a coach I'll be fine though. They're putting ice on their other surface and so there should be more frequent public sessions starting in a couple weeks. I won't be able to skate until this weekend though :(

Hey where's Glacier? Either she hasn't posted in awhile or I'm out of the loop. (Hehe, that could be a skate pun - loop? Get it? )

TIRESOME: Nothin about skating is tiresome, but I'm two weeks away from our annual meeting at work, and I've been working every night till 10 p.m. So I'm literally tired, mentally tired and tired of being stressed out.

TOOTHSOME: I was totally pumped about my practice and lesson on Tuesday. The first cool thing is that everyone has gone back to school, so I literally had the ice to myself most of the time. At most, there were 4 people on it, and for a long time I was the only one. It made for a super sweaty practice and a great lesson. My coach ran me through all the Gold spins (camel, sit, camel/sit/back sit) and the scratch and back scratch just for "fun." Now I have to do a minimum of 4 revolutions in each position, and she made some minor adjustments that have really helped with my balance.

Then we ran through the whole line of single jumps and jump combos, with special emphasis on how "relaxed" and "big" my lutz has become. :D Then it was time for (dum de dum dum) axels, and I landed quite a few and she really helped me get some basics down so that I can work on doing them from a position of more speed.

But the most TOOTHSOME part of the lesson was when she helped me rework the first three quarters of my Silver program into Bronze--whoah, she's got me doing some footwork and brackets as connecting moves that slammed me right to my butt--grinning the whole way, because it's so COOL to feel like a "real" skater. I have so much to work on, and we still have the whole last quarter of the program to rework. I can't wait for Friday's practice!!!

Toothsome: I did 2 or 3 beeeyootiful scratch spins during my lesson. They just popped out of nowhere, I thought my spins were gone for the day too. Still on a high from winning GOLD at State championships for Junior Sync. :D

Tiresome: Jumps were painful. My right ankle really takes a beating in these boots, especially on the loop jump. I've decided no more jumping till I get my new skates and some ANKLE SUPPORT!!!

Toothsome - Coach officially taught me the sit spin. She loves it, we just needed to get me to be upright for longer...haha. We worked on crossovers and positions as always. Nice day!

Tiresome - The ice was recently painted on and so we couldn't do any jumps for some reason, although coach and I snuck in some waltzes, sals and loops. *hee*

And on a REALLY cool note--I'm gonna do a program! We're going to do it to work on my edging, stamina, etc etc and all the moves...I just don't know to what music! I love classical and was thinking of something by Rachmaninov or from a soundtrack. Any ideas?

I haven't posted much lately, because each week has basically been the same (no real highs or lows). I've been working to get ready for my Intermediate MIF test, which I am taking later this month, so freestyle has kind of gone by the wayside.

Toothsome: I have been having some problems with my clockwise power 3's. In my last lesson, coach and I worked on them again, and I did one set so well that coach shouted across the rink in happiness. He's never done that -- made me feel all good and confident . Each week all the moves seem to be getting better and stronger, so I think I have a good chance of passing.

Also, although I haven't been doing much freestyle lately, the other day I only did one run through of the MIF test and moved onto jumps. I was talking with another adult who has done doubles about the 2toe, and we messed around a bit. I decided to try one for the heck of it, and even though I two-footed the landing, it was fully rotated! Makes me believe that I'll get the darn thing eventually.

Tiresome: Why do the things we love decide to mess with us? The axel - it comes so perfectly, multiple times with axel-toes even, then a few days later it pops and pops and I'll land 1 out of 5. I know it is because I am not jumping regularly right now, but sheesh :\ .

Lanie - COOL news about the program. I absolutely understand your excitement. I don't think you were posting here last March when I told my stoopid story about how I was so excited to be working on a program, that I accidentally fell while I was standing perfectly still writing notes. That's how I broke my wrist the first time! So I wish you lots and lots of fun choosing music and choreographing, and I also wish you safe skating days!

Blurrysarah - Wow, you really WERE blurry if you were doing the spins that well. Congrats on a job well done!

Skater 1964 - Sounds like you are going to ace those MIF. You've obviously made great progress and it's become "routine." I've seen those power 3s throw even the best skaters at our rink, so congrats on nailing them. They'll be there when you need them. I'll be clapping on the sidelines. And as for the dreaded axel -- you absolutely KNOW that what you described is more than typical for all of us. Here today, gone tomorrow and (luckily for us) back again the next day. Don't sweat it and move forward. It will return. And totally awesome on the fully rotated 2toe!

Toothsome: I checked out my new arena (small, cold and yucky). I didn't meet my new coach, but I e-mailed her. Also, I have info on varsity tryouts, and will be attending the meeting on Monday. More info to come once things get rolling.

Toothy grin: Worked on sals and toeloops yesterday, and did my first really dead on toeloops, with height and flow, both in and our of harness. Did waltz-toe combo successfully too, and even a Sal-Waltz-Toe!! Exhausting but great morning.

Here's the most fun part of the day. One of my Residents comes rushing into my office and says, "Doc, you gotta go talk to the patient in imaging Room X!!" I thougt something was wrong, but it turns out the patient was a skater who skated men's singles, and did pairs and dance with his wife (also present), who was a well respected Canadian skater, and the Resident wanted me to know this. I spoke to both of them and they had very impressive skating and coaching histories. Here's the upshot: I had mentioned my favorite and non-favorite skating moves, including my nemesis, the LFI3. As they were getting ready to leave, the wife a nice yet very no-nonsense lady looks at me in our main hallway and say's. "So, lets see the problem with your threes. Do an RFI3 for me." Now, everyone, I'm in a dress and labcoat and little platform wedgie sandals on a linoleum floor, but I dutifully went through the move. She stated it looked fine. Then she asked for the LFI3. I haven't done one in a year, not since I got my new skates because its not a move I "need" except for testing, and we're going to work on that later this year. I basically attempted one. Her husband pointed out that I wasn't rotating my left shoulder around the way I did my right, and she looked at me and said I'm starting off too straight, on a flat, I didn't have enough curve to complete the turn properly. All this, off ice, in heels...and they could see that much...

...with my Associate standing there, looking on, not even blinking. I guess he's used to my skating obsession!!! Of course, he keeps teasing me that they are going to send ME a bill for the "consult"...